Drywall Repair & Texture Matching
The repair nobody can find afterward, which is the only kind worth paying for.
See detailsMadison & Dane County
Popcorn Ceiling Removal
Scraped, skimmed smooth, and finished. Not scraped and left rough.
Popcorn ceiling removal is quoted as scraping, skim coating to a smooth finish, priming, and painting, all four, because a scraped ceiling that has not been skimmed looks worse than the popcorn did. That is the single most important thing to check when you compare quotes: a scrape-only number is not the same job. Any texture applied before roughly 1980 must be tested for asbestos before a scraper touches it.
- Timeline
- One room takes two to three days, driven by skim-coat drying rather than labor. A whole home is typically one to two weeks.
Start with the part that is not negotiable. Acoustic ceiling texture manufactured before the early 1980s can contain asbestos, and scraping it dry releases fibers into the air of your home. Testing costs a fraction of what it costs to be wrong. We arrange the sample and the lab, and if it comes back positive we stop and refer you to a licensed abatement contractor. We do not remove asbestos-containing texture, and any painter who offers to is telling you exactly how much they care about your family's lungs.
When it tests clean, the work itself is straightforward and enormously messy, which is why containment matters more than technique. Floors and walls get fully masked, the room is sealed, and the texture is misted and scraped wet so it comes off in sheets instead of dust.
Then comes the half most quotes leave out. Under that popcorn is an unfinished ceiling with visible tape joints and fastener dimples, because the texture was applied precisely so the drywall underneath never had to be finished. It has to be skimmed to a smooth Level 4 or Level 5, sanded, primed, and painted. A quote that only covers scraping is not cheaper. It is incomplete.
Scope
Every kind of popcorn ceilings work we take on.
Single Room Ceilings
A living room or bedroom, contained and completed in two to three days including skim and finish coats.
Whole-Home Popcorn Removal
Every ceiling in the house, sequenced room by room so you keep somewhere to sleep the entire time.
Level 5 Smooth Finish
A full skim coat for ceilings under raking light from big windows, where anything less than Level 5 will show every seam.
Knockdown Instead of Smooth
If you would rather not chase a perfectly flat ceiling, a light modern knockdown hides more and costs less than a Level 5.
Asbestos Testing Coordination
We arrange the sample and the accredited lab on any pre-1980 ceiling, and we hand you the result in writing.
Water Stain Sealing
Old roof and plumbing stains sealed with a shellac-based blocker so they stay gone rather than ghosting back in a year.
How we work
Step by step, no surprises.
You will know what is happening in your house on every one of these days before the first one starts.
- 01
Age the ceiling and test
If the texture predates roughly 1980, we sample it and send it to an accredited lab before anything else happens. Positive results stop the job and go to a licensed abatement contractor.
- 02
Contain the room
Floors, walls, doorways, and HVAC returns fully sealed. This step is most of the reason the job is priced the way it is.
- 03
Mist and wet-scrape
The texture is misted and allowed to soak, then scraped wet so it releases in sheets. Dry scraping makes dust, and dust goes everywhere in the house.
- 04
Skim to smooth
Two to three skim coats over the exposed joints and fasteners, sanded flat. This is the step that makes the ceiling look intentional rather than stripped.
- 05
Prime, including stain blocks
Full primer coat, with a shellac-based blocker anywhere an old water stain could bleed through.
- 06
Two coats of flat ceiling paint
Flat, always. Any sheen on a ceiling amplifies every imperfection that the light finds in the morning.
Our work
More popcorn ceilings photosPopcorn Ceilings projects.
How much does popcorn ceiling removal cost in Madison?
It is quoted per room after we look at what is above the texture, and it always includes scraping, skim coating smooth, priming, and painting. Be careful comparing that to a scrape-only quote, which is a cheaper number for a different and unfinished job. Pre-1980 texture has to be tested for asbestos before a scraper touches it.
Does my popcorn ceiling have asbestos?
If the texture was applied before roughly 1980, it might, and the only way to know is a lab test. We arrange the sample and the accredited lab on any pre-1980 ceiling before anyone scrapes. If it comes back positive we stop and refer you to a licensed abatement contractor. We do not remove asbestos-containing material.
Why does the ceiling need skim coating after scraping?
Because the drywall under popcorn was never finished. The texture existed specifically so the installer could skip taping and sanding to a finish level. Scrape it off and you expose raw tape joints and fastener dimples, which is why a scrape-only job looks worse than what you started with.
Can I stay in the house during removal?
Yes. We contain and seal one room at a time, including the HVAC returns, and we sequence the work so you always have bedrooms available. It is a messy job that is kept inside a controlled box.
Is smooth or knockdown better?
Smooth is the current look and it is unforgiving, so it needs a Level 5 finish under any strong side light. A light knockdown hides imperfection, costs less, and still reads as modern. If your ceiling is old and slightly wavy, knockdown is often the smarter answer, and we will say so.